Smog in northeast China at nearly 50 times World Health Organisation safe limits

Heavy pollution shrouds 21 cities in northeast as dangerous particles reach highest levels since mainland began releasing real-time data

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Residential buildings in Shenyang are shrouded in smog on Sunday. Photo: Reuters

Published: 11:45pm, 9 Nov 2015Updated: 10:25am, 10 Jan 2018

A swathe of China was blanketed with dangerous acrid smog on Monday after levels of the most dangerous particulates reached the highest recorded this year at almost 50 times World Health Organisation recommended limits.

Levels of PM2.5, the tiny airborne particles considered most harmful to health, reached 1,157 micrograms per cubic metre in Shenyang, capital of Liaoning province, on Sunday, data from the city's environmental protection bureau showed.

In Changchun, the capital of neighbouring Jilin province, they reached more than 1,000 micrograms on Sunday, and fell only slightly - to 860 - on Monday. Nearby cities also reported very high levels.

Cultural Square in Changchun in fog on Monday. Photo: Xinhua

The Ministry of Environmental Protection said 10 cities in the northeast had recorded heavy pollution on Friday. The number rose to 18 on Saturday and 21 on Sunday. By Monday morning, 20 cities were shrouded in heavy pollution. The ministry said traffic control measures had been in place since Friday.

Shenyang's readings were some of its worst since 2013, when the mainland started to monitor air quality and release real-time data. In 2013, the PM2.5 index of Shenyang only once reached more than 1,000. In the same year, Beijing's index reached 900. The WHO's safety limit is a 24-hour average of 25.